I returned to Maine late last night from California. It was a full week of work, but I managed to have a lot of fun doing it, too! And, yes, I did make it to a taping of the 'Ellen' show. It turned out to be two tapings! We had front row seats! I spotted us on tv both Tuesday and Wednesday- what fun!

This is from the Tuesday taping:Here are a few funny things I received via email while I was gone:

A video clip a wedding planner sent me, a commercial spoof from 'The Office' (it plays after an advertisement): Video

A hilarious before/after look at doggie bathtime. Love it!

Something many modern families can relate to! A funny forward:

Jennifer's wedding day was fast approaching. Nothing could dampen herexcitement - not even her parents' nasty divorce. Her mother had found thePERFECT dress to wear and would be the best-dressed Mother-of-the-bride ever!

A week later, Jennifer was horrified to learn that her father's new Youngwife had bought the exact same dress as her mother's! Jennifer asked thenew wife to exchange it, but she refused. Absolutely not. I look like amillion bucks in this dress, and I'm wearing it," she replied.

Jennifer told her mother who graciously said, "Never mind sweetheart. I'llget another dress. After all, it's your special day." A few days later, theywent shopping and did find another gorgeous dress. When they stopped forlunch, Jennifer asked her mother, aren't you going to return the otherdress? You really don't have another occasion where you could wear it."

Her mother just smiled and replied, "Of course I do, dear. I'm wearing it tothe rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding!"

Now it's back to the grind, editing & toning images! Thanks for your patience while I get caught up.

I'm headed to California tomorrow for a destination wedding on Catalina Island. Please call my cell phone if you need me for anything pressing, but I will be checking email occasionally as well. Have a great week/end! And if you happen to catch 'Ellen' on Tuesday, look for me dancing in the audience! I have tickets for the Monday afternoon taping (I'm guessing it will air on Tuesday).

Sara and Tom were married in a beautiful garden ceremony at the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH- one of my favorite venues!

A few pics:all about the shoes these days!Sara leaving her room at the inn, while her mother watches from the room next door.hand-made ceremony programsleaf stamps- great for fall!Tom and his groomsmenMr. and Mrs.Sara and Tom had a great DJ and the flowers were beautiful. I would definitely recommend contacting them both!DJ: Greg Plowman, Entertainment Concepts 978.352.4448Florist: The Flower Cart Bedford, NH

Congrats, Sara and Tom! It truly has been a pleasure getting to know you both over the past year! Stay in touch!

The reaction:"We were so so thrilled to get the email tonight -- so thrilled that I actually stopped watching the season premiere of Grey's Anatomy that I had on the DVR. hehe. The pics were amazing. You did a wonderful job!! I cannot believe how cute they were and how well done all of them were."

Maggie and Ross had a great wedding last weekend in Wells. I started the day with the bride and her maids at her parent's summer cottage on Drakes Island (loved it!). We all took a trolley to the ceremony at the South Congregational Church in Kennebunkport. And afterwards we went to the beach for pictures before heading to Laudholm Farm for the tented reception. After the reception officially ended, guests moved into the barn, rocking late into the night w/ a dj, pizza and beer. Fun!

A few pics:Maggie's VERY detailed schedule for the wedding weekend. My favorite detail? Sunset at 6:52 pm.Maggie's dad escorts her up to the aisle to meet Ross.The bridesmaids wore navy J Crew dresses (and the guys, suits accented w/ ties by Vineyard Vines).Mr. and Mrs. on the beachWe took the group pictures at a friend's house on the water. This was what greeted us when we got there- glasses and buckets of champagne and beer. So nice!The reception landscape.Late night fun in the co-ed bathroom. Who knew you could have so much fun w/ a hand dryer?band: Floyd Patterson Band, Springfield MAcaterer: Kitchen Chicks, Kennebunk

A few pics:Waiting as her mother buttons her dress.Fuzzy slippers for her wedding night- a gift from her mother-in-law!The garden ceremonyI do!Sweet moment in the gardenPlacecards by Invitations and CalligraphyFab cake by Let Them Eat CakeFirst danceThanks again, Michelle and Jeremy! Can't wait to hear about your honeymoon in Hawaii! Wags to Simon from Dakota! Remember, if you ever need a house-sitter...

Tho they are currently living in Boston, Erica grew up near Boothbay and Matt is from Juno, Alaska!

Guests enjoyed ceremony musicians Diamond Cove Trio from Portland, and the stylings of The Moonlighters, who came all the way from Cape Cod to perform at the reception. During the night, four bridal party members performed with the band. This was no karaoke, they were all exceptionally talented!

Take a peek at a few pics:

Erica's gown had a green sash and she wore green pearls. Even the bottom of her shoes were green!Matt, far left, watching people arrive at the church.At Spruce Point after the ceremony, just before the thunder arrived!the entire bridal party on the pool patiothe first dancefisheye view of the receptionjust a funny moment!Thanks again for having me, Erica & Matt! You were both so easy-going and fun to work with! Have a fantastic honeymoon in Hawaii and Napa!

The reaction:"The pictures are BEAUTIFUL! You are so talented-- thank you for takingpictures at our wedding."

Photographing 4 weddings in 9 days carrying 30.5 lbs (between my cameras and gear bag, and yes I did weigh them) has taken quite a toll on my body. So I took some time out to have a massage at Akari. At times I swore Andrea was getting a workout herself, using her elbows and forearms to work out the knots in my back and shoulders. It definitely helped!

4 more weddings to go this month (I'm going back for another massage next week)!

I was driving to work at The Washington Post on Route 395 on September 11, 2001. I was on my cell phone as I approached the Pentagon, trying to contact friends in New York. As I rounded the other side of the building, I noticed the man in the car in front of me turning his head to look behind him again and again. I did, too, and noticed a small plume of smoke coming from the side of the building I had just driven by. What was that? I called my mother to see if she had heard of a fire at the Pentagon (my stepfather traveled there often for work). As I continued with traffic into the city, checking my rear view mirror, that smoke puff grew bigger and darker and scarier. I had just missed seeing that plane crash by mere seconds.

Each year since, I've watched the papers closely to see how they mark the anniversary. This year, The Post ran an article about the monuments that have come to be since. It is written by Glenn Frankel, then the editor of the Washington Post Magazine, and now a reporter for the newspaper (as a side note, I photographed his youngest daughter's wedding in 2004, and will photograph his oldest daughter's wedding this March in DC. Great family.). It's definitely worth reading.

See that little counter at the bottom of the page? It hit 1,000 today! I've had this blog for a year now, but just added that counter last month. 1,000 visitors in one month! Wow! Thanks so much for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to! Come back again!

Wow! Heather and Dave's wedding was so much fun! It was unusually cold and windy for Labor Day, but there wasn't any rain!

They decided to see one another before the ceremony at Two Lights State Park. It was a truly special moment to witness as they spotted each other in their formal attire for the first time. I wish all couples would/could take the time to spend some alone-time like this before the busy day's events begin. While taking some snaps, Heather's cathedral veil took flight (look for this image in the slideshow), but Dave came to rescue and snatched it as it was hanging from the rocky ocean edge. Phew!

The ceremony, performed by a hilarious family relative and minister, was at Portland Head Light (supposedly the most photographed lighthouse in Maine) in a picnic shelter. Afterwards, the guests headed into town to catch a chartered boat over to Peak's Island for the reception at Jones Landing. Dave's brother-in-law played DJ for the evening.

Here are a few pictures, but be sure and check out the slideshow to get a better feel of the fun day.

Details of Heather's bling and dress (love my new macro lens!).First sight, at Two LightsWalking through the Old Port to board the boat.Looking back toward Portland from Peak's Island.The slideshow music is "Breathe Me," by Sia, a song I heard on the radio driving home from the wedding.

The reaction:"Thank you so much! These are absolutely beautiful and captured the day in such a great way. We have already gotten so many wonderful compliments that I want to pass on to you. You're genius :) "

I love getting mail- especially snail mail. I received a really sweet hand-written note from a bride (5/20/06) today that made my day. So I thought I would share it with you:

Dear Emilie, Thank you so much for the amazing job that you did photographing our wedding. We loved your work and your personality from the first time we met you, and are so pleased with the wonderful (and numerous) photos you took at our wedding. We are grateful that you gently insisted on arriving early at the hair salon as you captured a part of the day that was very fun. It is so great to have photos that tell the story of the entire day (Love the slideshow!). We cannot wait to work with you to create an album. In addition, I have to tell you that I am addicted to your blog! Checking the blog on Monday morning is a bright spot. If you ever need a personal reference please do not hesitate to ask.

Katie and Mike were married at the lovely Atkinson Resort & County Club in Atkinson, NH, Labor Day weekend. Their outside ceremony was moved inside the ballroom due to weather (Grr... Hurricane Ernesto!), but their guests still had a blast regardless.

Katie's beautiful gown.Our bride (wow! false eyelashes add such drama!).Mr. and Mrs. (Katie hoisted her dress and we dodged some rain drops for a few snaps where their ceremony would have been outside).The accent color was pink, and it was everywhere- down to the pins in Katie's bouquet.Katie's gift to Mike, Sox cufflinks. Nice.Katie changed into a short white dress for the reception, a la Britney. ;)

The dj was on the mic a lot, but this crowd loved it and was dancing right from the start. If that's your style, definitely check him out: Peter Accolla: 877.683.9991 nuimage entertainment.

The two videographers were fantastic to work with. I haven't seen their finished product, but I like them and that counts for a lot! Matt and Ryan: 978.273.1815 Fade and Focus Digital Media Productions.

A personal note about Katie and Mike... they hired me 16 months ago to photograph their wedding. In between then and now we have definitely bonded over our love for our Dakotas (they have a boxer named Dakota who came to their engagement session). Thanks again for having me! Very happy for you both!

The reaction:"The pictures are gorgeous....we love them...everyone loves themThey are perfect...they really capture the true emotion of the dayWe loved working with you...you are the best!!"

Feel free to share the love! Say hello! Post a joke! Ask a question! You are welcome to comment on any post on my blog (pending final approval from moi, of course. So spam, etc., will be filtered out). Bring it!

It seems as tho the summer came and went in a flash. I can't believe it's Labor Day! I took the first part of the day off, as the holiday encourages, and ran some errands. I made a quick stop at Starbucks and, gasp!, discovered their fall beverages are already out! My favorite? Pumpkin Spice Latte. Yum!

Speaking of yummy eats, Rachael Ray was recently in Portland for her show, Tasty Travels. She visited Federal Spice for wraps and vegetarian dishes, and Local 188. Click here for the episode's details and be sure to check 'em out when you are in town (maybe add a note about her recommendations in your wedding hotel guest goodie bags under 'things to do'?).

Ok... enough procrastinating. Back to editing! I photographed two great weddings this weekend and have more than 5,000 images combined to sort through. Yikes! Thank goodness for that Starbucks caffeine buzz!

According to the graphic below (courtesy of theknot), August and June are the most popular months for weddings in the United States. According to emilie inc., it's September. I have 8 (!!) weddings this month! So please bear with me as I work overtime to get your images turned around in a timely manner. Thanks much!

ps- for those of you don't know, 'September,' by Earth, Wind & Fire happens to be my most favorite happy, get-up-and-dance wedding reception song. People love it. So be sure and put it on your playlist!